Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CAAge and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and PromotionsFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior DesignerEngagement Date: March 5, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CAAbout Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
Several times throughout our wedding reception, our photographers asked us if they could steal us away for a few minutes, to get in some additional photos of the two of us.
This was a fantastic idea, and I really recommend it to everyone. Not only did it give us a chance for a few minutes alone-ish with each other periodically through the night, it also got us some great shots in different locations. Plus, it was a wonderful way to regroup, because the rest of our reception time was spent being pulled from person to person in non-stop conversation. Taking a few minutes out for just ourselves was just what we needed, and seemed to slow down the evening for those few stolen moments together.
The first stolen moment that was captured was one I didn’t even realize was being photographed! Our photogs suggested we meet them by the flower petal covered aisle, and as we were walking over to the aisle, they captured these lovely hand in hand photos. Something about these really tugs at my heartstrings, so simple, yet so lovely.
Mrs. Lace, Pasadena, CAAge and Occupation: 29, Elementary school teacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, EngineerEngagement Date: September 6, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: Orange County Performing Arts CenterAbout Me: Born and raised in Southern California, my fiance and I are marrying in Orange County. We're planning a vintage wedding with a modern twist. I am an elementary school teacher by day and a wedding planner by night. I love reading, blogging, scrapbooking, trying out new DIY projects, buying awesome finds at incredible deals and spending time with friends and family. Trying new restaurants, traveling and shopping also top my hobby list. I'm anxious to share my wedding ideas and planning with the hive!
I don’t mean it as a put down, but Mr. Lace is not a writer. It’s just not his thing. He’s magical when it comes to math, science, engineering and such, but he’s never loved writing. You can imagine my surprise when I (half) jokingly suggested having personal vows in our ceremony and he heartily agreed. The conversation went like this:
Me: You know, I was thinking, we should write personal vows in addition to our traditional vows. It will make our ceremony more personal and we’d get to say what we want to say to each other on our wedding day.
Mr. Lace: You’re right. That’s a good idea.
Me: (Blinking) You know you have to write them yourself.
Mr. Lace: Yeah.
Me: And then you have to read them out loud in front of everyone.
Mr. Lace: Yeah.
Me: And you still want to do it?
Mr. Lace: Yeah.
Me: (Thinking) Can I get this in writing?
Seriously, I was so happy that he agreed and made him promise not to back out. Read more…
BeehiveFeature Launched: Aug 31, 2006About: A forum for readers to post questions and get feedback from the hive, aka the weddingbee community.
To be eligible to win a Avery/Zazzle Wedding Organizer, review your favorite wedding vendors in the Weddingbee Vendors section and submit them to us here to be featured on the blog! Check out this post for more info on our great weekly prizes!
I was married on August 28th on Peaks Island, and food was one top priority for our wedding – Black Tie did not disappoint! All of the food has to be transported from Portland out to Peaks Island, which made me a little bit nervous, but everything was amazing – both in taste and preparation.
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
Now that I’ve finally chosen a wedding gown and decided on a veil, it’s time to start thinking about my hair. I always imagined a loose side pony like the one in this picture. Just gorgeous, if you ask me.
Can my hair please look this good on our wedding day?
Mrs. Beagle, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Electrical EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, FinanceEngagement Date: July 12, 2008Wedding Date: October 2009Venue: Church Ceremony/Reception at The Waterford HouseAbout Me: I am a true, but rare, Austinite---I was born, raised, and continue to live in this great city! Although
I am an engineer by day, I feed my inner creative side through crafting, sewing, and obsessing over Martha Stewart. I love coffee, my mister, NPR, and exploring all the nooks and crannies of Austin.
I can't wait to share my adventures in DIY and wedding planning with all of you!
Mrs. Zebra, Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 24 Marketing/Costume DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26 Management/Firefighter Engagement Date: December 12, 2008Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The Providence BiltmoreAbout Me: I'm a small town New England girl with an affinity for procrastination, crossing the proverbial line, and putting her foot in her mouth. I'm a lover of history, all seasons, sewing and Incubus. I design costumes on the side for my old high school's theatre department, which is where I met my sexy man. Our motto for our Big Fat Lebanese/Portuguese/Irish near-300 person wedding is "the more the merrier"! We are marrying in a Catholic ceremony and are hammering out the details of our Victorian-inspired reception.
Zeb and I have a houseguest for the week. I haven’t introduced you to this particular nephew yet because frankly, he’s not my favorite. Hive, meet Moose.
You may have noticed our lack of furbaby. I’m often worried that Pengy is going to kick me out for not having a pet. Technically, I have a cat…but she lives with my parents. The running joke in my family is when I’m going to take my cat to our house because no one believes that I am allergic. Read more…
The ATL bees are revving up for a fantastic fall meet up this weekend, November 6th (Saturday) at Cafe Intermezzo from 3 to 5 PM at the Park Place location in Dunwoody! Join hive hostess Bellenga, Miss Lioness, and some fantastic hive members for fun, friendship, and fabulous food!
Mrs. Moonbeam, Los Angeles/San AntonioAge and Occupation: 26, Intern ArchitectFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Studio Analyst, aspiring ScreenwriterEngagement Date: May 20, 2009Wedding Date: November 2009Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church (LaCoste, TX) and Mary Gray Events Center (Castroville, TX)About Me: I was born and raised in Texas, but after college I moved to Seattle for a couple of years and loved it. Then I followed my beau out here to LA and we're getting settled in. I've been making things since I can remember. I was raised by crafters. I love to sew, draw, paint, build, cook, bake (anything with a tangible end result is fair game). In that same spirit, I've been hosting since I was old enough to cook and set a fancy table. I kind of take after my grandmother, who believes that your morning OJ always tastes better out of the good crystal.
It’s speech time. Momma MB gave a little welcome and thank you to everyone for coming out and then introduced our MOH and Best Man for the speeches.
Sista’ MB was up first. She gets a bit nervous with public speaking, but she had it all planned out and had been memorizing. I even got to hear a practice run. I love that she took her role so seriously, and it worked out perfectly. Read more…
Mrs. Prairie Dog, Cincinnati
Age and Occupation: 24, Program CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, PhD/Biomedical EngineerEngagement Date: December 18, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Glendale LyceumAbout Me: I'm a pilgrim soul of a girl with a house full of books and a coffee addiction that could slay Juan Valdez. My life is a whirl of grammar correction, good music, glue-gunning, and two pets named Hazel and Winston Churchill. I'm marrying my high school boyfriend in a formal-ish spring affair, roughly themed: "Elizabeth Bennet crashes a party co-hosted by Jay Gatsby and Cath Kidston, and loves it."
Once upon a time, I did a brief visual-design stint with my favorite store. And how perfect for a bibliophile like me that at the time I started, the medium for their art was books. Glorious arches of books.
Mrs. Giraffe, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 23, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Music Student TeacherEngagement Date: October 23, 2008Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church & Idlewild Country ClubAbout Me: Coming from the suburbs of the Windy City, you'll often find me with my foot in my mouth while laughing for no reason or telling bad knock knock jokes. I've been crafty for as long as I can remember, and will DIY something twice over before I have someone do it for me. I'm a semi-awkward, typeface obsessed, design junkie and have been know to break out my dance moves for no reason as well as try my best to be ridiculous at all times. My love of pop culture, wordplay, and graph paper almost rivals my love of Mr. Giraffe (who is just the bee's knees). After a 2.5 year engagement, we're planning a modern-in-disguise traditional wedding, and cannot wait!
Mrs. Ostrich, San Francisco/HawaiiAge and Occupation: 30, Fashion Buyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 38, CopywriterEngagement Date: October 4, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Sweet ceremony by the sea and sunset celebration on the North Shore of HawaiiAbout Me: Born in the city of angels and residing in the city by the bay, I’m a fearless fashion buyer by day, a passionate blog author by night and a dreamy bride-to-be in between. I thank my lucky stars to live in such a stunning city that gives me gifts like organic honey lavender ice cream, movie nights in the park, tucked away beaches, legendary record stores, '80s dance parties, awesome sports teams, stellar flea markets, and vintage bookshops. Oh, and I love to dance! We always find every excuse to escape to the beach, and decided a little seaside wedding in Hawaii is our idea of bliss. Full of our favorite people, music, food and sparkly lights, this is one sunset celebration we will always remember.
And now it’s time to dish about another big love of ours…
Here’s a hint: it has 4 sides and lots of colors. Read more…
Mrs. Meerkat, Kalamazoo, MI/Riviera MayaAge and Occupation: 30, Application EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, IT ConsultantEngagement Date: July 26, 2008Wedding Date: December 2010Venue: Al Cielo / La LagunaAbout Me: I’m a tech-savvy tomboy with an affinity for hot tea and good sushi. Us Meerkats are just a couple fun lovin’ geeks from Michigan. We love anything having to do with movies, books, video games or technology and we hold a special place in our hearts for our two very spoiled shih-tzus, Wicket and Bravo. We also LOVE to travel. We love it so much it only took us 12 hours after we got engaged to decide to have a destination wedding. We are working our little Meerkat tails off planning a rustic-chic, travel themed destination wedding in the Riviera Maya with a semi-formal, vintage-turned-modern, outdoor at home reception back here in Michigan.
When Mr. Meerkat and I moved into our house and started to use city water, I noticed a change in my hair. My hair was always baby fine but it was usually soft and healthy looking. After we moved into our house my hair started to look dull and limp.
At first I thought it was a build up of chemicals from drug store-type shampoos and conditioners. So I went on the hunt for silicone and sulfate free products since they don’t weigh hair down. I started out trying organic products like Avalon clarifying. The shampoo worked well but the conditioner left a wax-like coating on my hair that really didn’t help the problem.
Mrs. Panther, Atlanta GA/Westport CTAge and Occupation: 24, Web WriterFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Music Recording EngineerEngagement Date: March 13, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: The Inn at LongshoreAbout Me: I'm a total goofball who goes through life at a breakneck pace, trying not to knock anything over. I tend to fall in love with everything I encounter, but more than anything, I love my two little kitties, Bela and Josie, and my big kitty, Mr. Panther! As a wannabe crafter, I'm still waiting for my artistic talents to emerge. (Any day now, really.) In the meantime, I spend my days eating anything put in front of me, buying every pair of shoes I see and absorbing wedding inspiration from every inch of my surroundings. Mr. Panther and I are hardcore New Englanders planning Connecticut nuptials from our new home in the Dirty South, and can't wait to mix our newfound love of classic Southern charm with some modern city touches.
Warning: This post will be a bit of a Debbie Downer, but this particular matter is really important to my story and has had a huge effect on our wedding.
Growing up, my cousin (the previously mentioned Cool J) and I lived in a world where nothing ever went wrong. His parents and mine lived in a two-family house as one big family. Our grandpa, aunt, and uncle lived three houses down. We had three healthy sets of grandparents (our moms’ parents split up and both remarried), healthy parents with happy relationships, and a stable, easy childhood. Both our dads were popular musicians in Connecticut, and our lives were filled with raucous parties, packed picnics, and crowded holidays.
My dad bringing me my birthday cake at one of the aforementioned raucous parties:
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
Throughout the evening our photographs directed guests to our fauxto booth. It was a hit, as expected, and I personally returned to it time and time again, striking ridiculous pose after ridiculous pose. Here are some of my favorites!
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
Technically, I have a cat…but she lives with my parents. The running joke in my family is when I’m going to take my cat to our house because no one believes that I am allergic.
